Taken from the works of Patrick Parr, author of three books, recently Malcolm before X.

On February 25, 1964, Malcolm X, 38, suspended in the Nation of Islam, sat in a row 7, headquarters 7, watching Cassius Clay fights with the Sonny Poston to the heavyweight championships. The rain was hit by a half -filled congress hall in Miami, and many, especially boxing media surrounding the ring, believed that Clay would lose.

Malcolm knew differently.

The complicated friendship between Malcolm X and Cassius Clay – devastating after the fight, Clay officially changed his name to Muhammad Ali – it was described in books, films and documents, but it is ignored for a long time how many experiences Ring had Malcolm.

Starting from childhood, Malcolm Little imitated his brother Philbert and participated in Golden Gloves duels, often losing. In Malcolm’s autobiography from 1965, through the interpretation of Alex Haley, he described that he was knocked out by the white 13-year-old Bill Peterson. “This white boy was the beginning and end of my fight career.”

If you don’t count the prison, then it was …

Malcolm’s prison years have not been documented much. This is understandable because what happens behind the prison walls is complex to verify. But thanks to the combination of prison files, prison newspapers, interviews and visits to the site, I was able to find a lot of Malcolm behind the bars about six and half a year. One very compelling fact that can now be verified is that during its 15-month period in Massachusetts-Reformators at Concord (1947-1948) Malcolm with three different warriors. In fact, there is even a rounding analysis for each fight.

Men from MR-Concord organized the “Monday Night Club box”, took place periodically throughout the year, but mainly from January to April, at 19.00 at Tufts Hall Mr-Concord, named after the first superintendent of the Gardiner Tufts prison and the “Under the under the under the under the chapel.” Usually six or seven or seven three-rounds were planned in weight classes.

The event was organized by imprisoned men. There were two judges in the bell, three judges and an announcer. There was even a reporter in prison, 23-year-old Pennsylvania, William Paul Williams, documenting each fight, and his accounts became part of MR-Concord’s Our paper.

On February 3, 1947, less than a month after the ring from archaic hell.

In Charlestown, Malcolm did not have a good chance of activity, forced to spend 17.5 hours a day in a 6 x 9 cell. Now, in Concord, he had the right gym and equipment for operate. His opponent that night was Robert D. Nash, 20 years aged. Nash weighed 180 and Malcolm 176.

Opponent No. 1 – Robert D. Nash

According to the prison acts, Nash was black and lived in “needy and colorful” sections in Lynn in Massachusetts, the second of the oldest of ten siblings. His mother gave birth to him at the age of 16, and his parents separated when he was 17. Nash abandoned the school in the middle of seventh grade, but continued his classes in the “Faculty of Arts” of the “Public School” because his teachers believed his talent for “sketching”.

Nash worked with Malcolm for several months in the MR-Concord furniture department. He received a five -year sentence for driving a motor vehicle without authorization, after his “right to” was “suspended”.

For his “free” in prison, Nash read “Current magazines” such as LifeIN Digestion of the reader AND Collier’sHe dealt with wood sculpture and regularly participated in Catholic Services. His mother explained to the prison official that “Robert liked to dance and sing. He was very expert in both. His habits are to familiarize himself with all the latest songs. “

It is fully how Williams prison reporter saw the three round of Malcolm’s fight with Nash: “Nash took left stabs with Little, and then replied with a law that did not cause any damage. Little rolled up strongly in the second, and they both threw featherlight stabs. It lasted throughout the entire final round, which is why the blows had a compact or no effect on the second in the bell. ”

The winner was not reported in the newspaper unless Ko or TKO occurs.

Opponent No. 2 – Frank R. Willis

A week later, Malcolm returned to him, his opponent Frank R. Willis, 22 years aged, White and three days after dismissal on conditional release.

Willis was the only name of the three in the general list of 1950, which confirmed that it was white. According to the long act of Willis’s prison, Willis’s father died when he was two years aged, and abandoned the 7th grade to lend a hand his mother, but soon fell into a “gangster” named Ranahan, known for being an intimidating “prize warrior”.

After the conviction of Willis at the age of 19 for “using a car without authority”, Willis’s mother was in a sense with a relief. She thought the prison was a good way to escape from gangsters’ influence, and Willis hoped that he would join Marines to support his mother, while avoiding Ranuhan’s influence.

This Monday evening at Tufts Hall Willis knocked gloves with Malcolm weighed 175, while Malcolm remained 176 for fighting.

For Malcolm, the fight turned out to be more complex than NASH’s fight a week earlier.

Per Williams: “Willis stuck a lion. And Little’s head and body rights in the opening round. Delicate stabs hit their footsteps, and then little associated with demanding blows to Willis’s head. In the second little one he caught Willis with three stabs in his head at the bell. The last one saw the Aggressor Willis when he fired repetitive left and right to his head and body. He was still not still stabbing until the last bell. “

Looking at his own act of Malcolm prison, medical reports show that he receives “wounding” treatment at the chin on February 11. Most likely Willis landed a shot, which cut Malcolm and left a scar ½ at the bottom of the chin.

Opponent #3 – Floyd Johnston

Malcolm took a few months free after the fight of Willis, but on April 28 he entered the Tufts Hall ring six pounds heavier to fight with 21-year-old Floyd Johnston, who came at 180.

Johnston’s prison file states that he was black and worked as a dishwasher and a farm before prison. He was accused of five cases of robbery, stealing money from five different people and sentenced to five years. During free time, Johnston read “Sports and Adventure Stories” and played football and baseball, participating in the Concord school program “Four Nights a week” – ended the 8th grade – and sometimes participated in Protestant services.

Johnston also worked in a furniture store for three months, which meant that at some point he would work near Malcolm.

As you read, the fight was definitely for Malcolm, the most punishing of three.

According to Williams: “Johnston recovered after a snail-paced start, when he released Savage in a second, who fell on the number of 7 saved by the bell. Again, in the third, it didn’t matter at 7, but he recovered and went more or less in a defensive way. ”

At least as described in Our paperMalcolm did not fight again on Monday evenings at Concord after Johnston was knocked twice. On April 29, 1947, the day after his brutal fight, Malcolm was written for wearing a handmade six -inch blade or “shiv”. This was indeed possible because MR-Concord was known because younger men became aggressive, and the average age was 21 years. Or maybe Malcolm still had a beef with Johnston. The prison file has no full history.

Blades forward at 17 years, and there was Malcolm, taking part in the fight against clay with a acute sense of what had to be a warrior. He prayed with clay just before the fight and helped him strengthen. “With the exception of all chemicals that got into the eyes of Cassius and temporarily blinded him in the fourth and fifth round,” explained Malcolm: “The fight went according to plan. [Clay] Listona avoids powerful blows. The third round automatically began to tire the aging Liston, who was too trained to pass only two rounds. Then, desperately, the poston lost. The secret of one of the greatest struggle in history was a few months before that night, Clay thought about the list. “

Shortly after the fight, Clay pushed the influence of Malcolm, winning the side of Elijah Muhammad, which he would later like to pick up. As he explained 40 years later in his autobiography, Butterfly soul“Turning away from Malcolm was one of the mistakes I regret the most in my life.” Ali not only turned away from a friend and mentor, but also a man who understood the courage she entered the ring. “He was a visionary – AUE of all of us.”

Adapted with Malcolm before X, published by the University of Massachusetts Press. Patrick Parr is the author of three books, recently Malcolm before X. He is an English professor at Lakeland Japan University and lives with his wife near Tokyo.